


Fate is a literal bitch

by miss_elizabeth



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angsty crack, Crack, Darcy is the greatest, F/M, M/M, Multi, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, absolutely not Ultron compliant, with a happy ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6515257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_elizabeth/pseuds/miss_elizabeth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are a multitude of theories as to why soulmarks happened and when they first appear. Ultrasounds offer nothing, some babies are born with them others get them later, but when do they show? Scientists will offer a varying amount of theories but the bottomline is: they haven’t a fucking clue.</p><p>It usually coincides with a painful experience, at first it was believed that it was the reason babies cried when they were born, their soulmarks were appearing. A broken bone, a rough run in between your toe and a door, a bad fall onto the cement; it was always something, then there they were...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. setting up the long game

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into this fandom and it's daunting. For some reason out of all the ideas (Steve/Darcy & Steve/Darcy/Bucky) I've partially started, this one was the one that DEMANDED to be written. I adore this ship (and it's variations) and I have to thank just a handful of amazing writers, [miin](http://archiveofourown.org/users/miin/pseuds/miin), whose series [The Safest Place](http://archiveofourown.org/series/420454) is just amaaazing. Katiedid, who had disappeared sadly. Your fics and fun have been such an inspiration and utter delight to read. Truly, they've helped me when I'm stressed with school, got me smiling and laughing. And this wouldn't be here without Tammy who was kind enough to beta this for me. You are a goddess and I am so very thankful for you!!
> 
> There are so many fic writers I have to thank for inspiring me, and I'll try to include them all by the end of this!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve wakes with a new mark. Little Darcy doesn't have any. Bucky doesn't remember what he doesn't remember.

After running to Times Square and talking to Director Fury, Steve had been taken to medical for a full write up.  Looking back, he remembered the doctor's murmuring to each other before asking questions about Bucky’s unfaded words running along the left side of his ribs, but he hardly paid them much mind then. His words were as clear as they had been the day they appeared.

 

“Likely side effects of the serum and the ice,” they had said and left it at that.   After being loaded up with books, given a brief tour and introduced to a select few people who were to be his main points of contact, an assigned agent took him to a sparse but serviceable room.  

 

“Don’t suppose there’s a gym?”

 

It was there in the changing room that he saw it.  A thin loopy scrawled sentence on the bottom of his foot.  He couldn’t hear anything over the rush of blood in his ears.  Another one.  He had another soulmate out there.  He’d just lost Bucky and Peggy and there was someone else.  A fresh wave of anger ran through him as he nearly ran over the agent offering him tape for his hands.  Looking back on it, he wasn’t sure he did anything besides grab it from the kid as he stormed off to the nearest punching bag.

 

If the universe thought this was some way to make up all that he lost, the universe was crueler than Steve had ever thought it could be.  No one would replace Bucky.  No one.

 

After the shock of the other mark wore off, Steve forgot about it most days. He was saving some unknown person the pain that he felt at Bucky’s loss.  It was for the best. His life wasn’t conducive to a relationship, not now and likely, not ever. There were times when he idly wondered about them. Wondered how they’d feel next to him at night, what their laugh sounded like, or what it’d be like to show up to one of Tony’s parties with them. But the guilt over Bucky quickly followed so he’d shut that down. Instead, he continued to act as if the fates had abandoned him, never mentioning the words on the bottom of his foot.  

 

He worked on catching up on his 70 year nap, looking into the lives his friends and loved ones had led.  Then aliens happened.  Everyone’s world widened that day, and Steve went out to see it. After that, working with S.H.I.E.L.D kept him busy.  He didn’t have time to dwell on lost loves, or unknown ones.  It wasn’t until he watched the organization his friends had built crumble to the ground that he thought of it again. He’d found Bucky, alive. Since he’d woken, he felt like a piece of himself had remained frozen, unable to move forward, but unable to go back. And suddenly that piece was thawing, feeling raw and lost, but there and unwilling to be ignored any longer.  

 

Steve knew that the man he remembered was gone, but his mark was as unfaded as he remembered it--so he had a chance.  And he chased it.

* * *

 

_Bucky – 1983_

 

He was the Asset, and yet, there were times where something felt familiar to him. At least, he supposed it was a sense of familiarity. It never stayed long. The cold, that was a constant.  But sometimes, the way the sun set over a high building, a certain smell, would make him pause. He learned to hide it, if it showed he’d be back in the chair.

 

He sparred. With men and women, one after the other. Some showed more promise than others, but they all went down quick enough. But he remembers her red hair. She lasts longer than most, and even when their first sparring has ended, there is a spark in her eyes. The others showed awe, fear, jealousy. Not her. She saw him as a challenge and he welcomed it.

 

He began to look forward to their sessions, they came with no regularity but he lived for them. It became more, she was a solace, a balm. And he became her anchor, her touch stone. They never spoke of the words on their bodies, words of others that remained despite the trials to remove them.

 

“Do you remember?” She asks him, laying in the small cot. He doesn’t look at her, doesn’t need to.

 

“I don’t---I. Some days, I think so.” His natural arm moves to his hip, the sheet rustling slightly as he traces over the words that are scrawled out in small neat letters.

 

“And the other?” He stops at that. Other? He’d only ever noticed the one. Her fingertips on his left forearm jarr him back to her statement. She runs her fingers over the smooth metal, two thin plates before the inside of his elbow.

 

“Here,” she says softly as she shifts to face him, running her fingers over it. In thin loopy handwriting there are words. Words with no meaning to him, no memory or feeling present in the deepest part of his mind to help him. They must have appeared the last time he went under. While the words on his hip raise questions, they also raise snippets of images, voices, colors that he feels mean something. These words, etched in the crook of his arm have none of those. But perhaps, they have been removed.

 

He closes his eyes, inhales the lingering scent of Natalia and it grounds him. He feels want, a need. But nothing more.

* * *

 

_Darcy-1995_

 

There are a multitude of theories as to why soulmarks happened and when they first appear. Ultrasounds offer nothing, some babies are born with them others get them later, but when do they show? Scientists will offer a varying amount of theories but the bottomline is: they haven’t a fucking clue.

 

It usually coincides with a painful experience, at first it was believed that it was the reason babies cried when they were born, their soulmarks were appearing. A broken bone, a rough run in between your toe and a door, a bad fall onto the cement; it was always something, then there they were. Her dentist believed that true love is something that is more than the purity of two hearts, love was pain, and your soulmark was the evidence. Nothing that Darcy found any solace in, particularly when she was having an excess tooth removed, without painkillers.

 

“I’m helping you, now stop crying!”

 

“I want my Mom!”

 

“Well, she’s not coming. You suffer for love kid, keep up that act and you’ll never get shit!” Mrs. Lewis burst in the room about a moment later, having had enough of hearing her daughter and making her way past the staff. She discovered a crying Darcy and yelling dentist, the extra tooth in the dentist’s hand.

 

“What the hell are you doing here?!”

 

“Mom!” With a swift kick off the chair, Darcy landed one foot in his groin and ran to her mother.

 

After her mother had comforted Darcy  enough to speak, she told her what happened.

 

“Why does everyone feel the need to say something about it?” She asked her Mom on the way home, continuously running her tongue over her front teeth.  The older woman sighed, glancing at her daughter as she drove.

 

“It’s one of those things I suppose, people feel the need to try to commiserate, to help, to say something. But they just don’t know what to say or do. Like when someone dies, and people feel the need to talk, to express something when you didn’t ask them to. I think it’s one of those things, and I’m sorry for it.” She explained, knowing there was no good answer that would make her daughter feel any better.

 

Darcy remained silent, nodding slowly in response and Ann Lewis’s heart broke for her daughter.  

 

“We won’t go back to him,” she said as they pulled into the driveway.

 

“Good, he was an asshole,” Darcy replied, undoing her seatbelt.

 

“Darcy!” her mother exclaimed. Darcy simply looked over at her mother as if to see if she’d argue.

 

“You’re right, he’s a dick,” she relented, Darcy grinning proudly at her victory.

 

“Don’t tell your father I let you get away with that though!”

  
“Oh Mom, this is the beginning of a _beeeaaauutiful_ friendship!”


	2. it's all a game of catching up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy gets her soulmarks. Bucky lets Steve catch him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so pleased that you all seemed to like it so far! I'll be honest, I only have a little more than what's in this chapter written and maybe slightly more than that plotted out. My school work comes first, but I'm hoping to get this all up on the quicker end of things. 
> 
> This time around a thank you to the amazing katertots for her creative, smutty heartfelt fics. And to [nessismore](http://archiveofourown.org/users/nessismore/) for the glorious characterisations. A special mention of [Merideath](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Merideath/pseuds/Merideath) and the fic series [the dragon verse](http://archiveofourown.org/series/280770) which is absolute perfection and one of the works that has helped me stop thinking about school. Darcy & Steve & dragons. It's amazing. Check it if you haven't!

_1999_

  
February 22nd, Darcy’s first menstrual cycle hits and the cramps are miserable. She’s laying in bed valiantly trying not to cry as her mother pets her hair and her father doesn’t know what to do with himself.

“Why? _Why_ did I want this? Is it always like this? This is _terrible_!” She bemoans and her mother does her best to comfort her. The painkillers should be helping soon, but seeing your child in pain is never easy, not matter how funny the things they say are. Ann Lewis just kept stroking her daughters hair.

“I know, it was a possibility between my side and your father’s. You’ll get through this and it won’t be this bad all the time.” It’s not a lie if she doesn’t know, right?

Darcy falls asleep, her knees tucked to her chest and a heating pad stuck between. Her arms are tucked close. She wakes to a sharp pain that slowly dissipates, but still causes her to yell out, echos of pain still there. Her parents are there instantly and when Darcy reaches out for them the pain has already lessened but her body feels sore. That’s when she sees it.

“MOM.”

“MOM. MOM. MOM. DAD DAD DADDY––”

“Darcy, we’re right here I know you’re in pain––”

“LOOKIT. LOOOOK IT!”

There in hastily written script were the words “No idea what you’re yammerin’ on about doll, but more than happy to have you educate me.”

Her father’s face is torn between happiness for his daughter, and wanting to murder the speaker of those words. While her mother holds her, kissing her head and crying tears of joy and relief for her daughter. Darcy just kept tracing the words up her arm with wonder and delight before she suddenly stopping.

“Does this mean they’re just being born now? Ewwww!”

 

* * *

 

_2012_

Darcy _knows_ she stepped over the wire. She’s sure of it because she made a game out of it and she hasn’t lost a game of Jenga yet and damnit, she’s not losing the game now. The pieces may have been different (Jane’s pieced together thinga-ma-do-hickey) but she’s the master and THE MASTER DON’T LOSE (suck it Barton aka Biceps McSnarky Pants, you’re going down!)

Since she didn’t trip she’s not sure what does it, but hears Jane calling her name frantically, hysterically even as she comes to.

“I didn’t do it,” she groans as something is lifted off of her and she feels air rushing into her lungs. Her arm is still pinned down as Jane rushes to her side, Biceps McSnarky Pants is lifting the last piece off of her and muttering about getting babysitter duty. He kneels down next to her, hand on her shoulder.

“I’m fine,” she smiles, at least she thinks she does because the look on his face only loosens up slightly.

“Aw, you were worried! You like me!” She grins and pokes him in the bicep. He just rolls his eyes and says something about being a glutton for punishment. It’s then she realizes she’s not hearing things right.

“Was that ringing always there?”

“Get a medic!” He calls as he helps her slide her legs out and get to her feet. She shoos him away as he tries to offer himself as a crutch. He stays beside her as she gets herself up but as puts weight on her foot she feels it. She doesn’t remember crying out, it wasn’t something she had intended on doing but even as her cries form it’s gone, a dull but throbbing pain in it’s place.

Biceps has her in his arms and on a table laying down before she even registers it. He’s got her shoe and sock off by the time the medic pulls up, Jane yelling at anyone in a suit that they’re to blame for this. Bicep’s eyes narrow as he sees the words on the top of her foot. That wasn’t in her file.

“That’s new,” Darcy says, leaning up on her elbows expecting to see one of her bones sticking out of her feet. There’s silence as the medic takes out his supplies and starts to check her over. Asking her questions about sounds, how many fingers, checking her eyes. But her mind is elsewhere so her answers aren’t immediate and he takes that as a sign of something wrong.

Darcy moves his hands out of her face as her mind catches up.

“Wait, so this one is 25 years younger than me!? Aw, soulmate, no.”

* * *

_A couple of weeks ago..._

It had been taxing on Steve, trying to find Bucky. Sam had been a steadfast rock in it all, a rock that didn’t always stop asking questions even when they hurt, but a better rock than Steve felt he’d deserved. And they were needed questions, he saw that now, lying on his stomach, naked except for the sheet draped over him. He listened as Bucky showered, content to lay there and listen, nodding back off at some point.

He woke to a touch on his right foot, jerking it away without thought. Steve knew they’d have to talk about it, but he had hoped it’d take a little longer.

“You’ve got one too,” Bucky said softly, grabbing Steve’s foot again to read it properly. He chuckled at the words written in the same handwriting as on his arm.

“Too?” Steve asked, completely awake and sitting up.

“We don’t–that is, they’re not,” Bucky stumbled with his words, completely ignoring Steve’s question. Bucky, who was never without words, never without the right words struggled and Steve felt helpless.

“It’s new right?” He finally asks, hand still tracing the words on Steve’s foot.

“Yeah, Buck. Don’t know ‘em from a hole in the wall,” Steve admitted as he watched his soulmate let out a shaky breath. Steve pulled him forward, their foreheads meeting as Bucky struggled with his composure.

“Hey, this doesn’t have to change anything, Buck. We can stay just like this, or whatever you need–” Even as he spoke the words he felt something within him disagree. But Bucky’s head was shaking before he could finish.

“No–we, we meet ‘em. I may not have much but I’ve got you. What do they have?”

“Buck, that’s not tru–”

“I thought that it was something else they took from me. I want to know them, whoever they are. Something free from–”

“They may not want us though. We’re not, the best for relationships and all that. But alright, Buck. Just one condition.” Bucky’s head raised at that, one eyebrow raised in question as his fingers continued to move over his foot, making his toes wiggle.

“Lemme see yours.” Steve asked, Bucky just chuckled and held out his left arm, pointing to the plates just before the crook of his arm. Steve smirked, running his fingers over the words of the arm that Bucky still had difficulty seeing as a part of himself.

“Seems that fate felt like getting a bit literal,” Steve smirked, reading the sentence on his soulmates arm.

“It’s the only good thing about this,” Bucky said softly, lifting his left shoulder to gesture to his arm.

“It’s part of you Buck, this, these words, they prove it. That arm isn’t one thing or the other, it’s a part of you,” Steve said, hoping that this time the words would sink through.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be "present day" and the trio will begin to find each other. Maybe I'll let you in on the words on two stupidly handsome super soldiers.
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr ([roserobertss](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/)), I am a multi-fandom trash bin that occasionally posts [graphics](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/tagged/%2A) and is always open to requests!


	3. the game is changing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You know when you're talking to someone and you meet the eyes of someone else in the room by accident?
> 
> Steve does. Darcy will. 
> 
> AKA  
> Some words are said.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~I have no idea what to name chapters~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo. Sorry for the wait but I had a 3 day symposium for my department and had to give a talk on my topic. I still can't believe it's over! Anyway, this all that's complete at the moment, so I will do my best to get you all more, but you know how muses work!
> 
> Please comment, it helps kick the muse in the ass!
> 
> In my haste to post this I totally forgot to drop some fics of awesomeness. Everything by canibecandid is awesome and fun. Sarcastic_fina is one of the most original and amazing writers of fic ever. Still a little brain dead, so that's all I've got atm. Sorry.

After SHIELD taking Jane’s research, disappearing with Erik, then shipping them off to Tromsø while Thor was in town, Jane had been a bit leery about the organization–and who she trusted with her work. Watching SHIELD fall had only made that worse, it was reasonable, understandable even. They moved to Avengers tower and Stark had taken care of security, but few made it into the inner depths of the Science Realm de Foster (SRdF, copyright pending). 

 

Which was why Darcy stood outside said realm trying to psych herself up to tell Jane the news. She was leaving.

  
Well, not leaving, but moving. Away from Science Realm de Foster and more into her purview. Executive Assistant to Maria Freaking Hill, that was something she understood. Hell, she had a degree for it. And if she got credits for it as a work placement for her Masters? Well, fuck to the yes.

 

But that meant leaving Jane, at least as her worker bee. But Darcy Lewis was no coward, it’d come out sooner or later, so taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and entered the lab.

 

“Janey? Can we talk for a sec?”

* * *

 

JARVIS had informed Steve and Bucky that Tony was visiting the labs of Banner and Foster. Which, although limiting the space he could be in, still included a large floor with more doors than Steve thought was necessary.

 

“If we split up, we cover more ground,” Bucky offered, glaring at some random person who kept eying his arm.

 

“I don’t know, Buck…” Bucky sighed, rolling his eyes.

 

“I’ll be fine, it’s been too long since I scared someone so bad they wet themselves, it’ll be fun,” he continued.

 

Steve sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before responding. Which, it turned out was a mistake as Bucky had already left.

 

Tony had been leery about admitting Bucky into the tower, with his ties to HYRDA and some memories still gone. He didn’t particularly like the idea of his parents’ possible murderer living under his roof. But Natasha, Clint and Bruce had helped win him over, the lure of tinkering with his arm in the future didn’t hurt. Terrorizing the staff wasn’t going to help. Resigning himself to it, Steve turned around and headed in the opposite direction as his soulmate.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean, you’re leaving!? You can’t just leave, Darcy. I need you!”

 

“Jane, come on–”

 

“I pay you now! You’ve got a salary, an apartment, more food than anyone ever needs–”

 

“Well, that’s a flat out lie, have you _seen_ Thor eat?” 

 

Jane continued, ignoring Darcy’s attempt at levity. “A 401K, healthcare–Darce, what else do you need? I mean, it took you a while, but you get this stuff, better than most of the people in here!” Jane pleaded, red faced but not looking at Darcy, looking anywhere but at Darcy.

 

“Janey–”

 

“You can’t leave. Thor left–”

 

“And he came back. It took him too damn long, I’ll grant you. But he came back!” Darcy reminded her.

 

“Erik left– and yes, he came back, but Darcy, he’s never been the same after Loki. I can’t lose you too,” Jane explained softly, shifting through papers Darcy had previously organized.

 

“Janey, look at me,” Darcy asked, waiting until her closest friend turned around and did as she asked.

 

“I’m not peacin’ out right this second okay. And what’s more, it’s not like I’m not going to be around. You’ll see me, I’ll still be living with you too,” Darcy explained.

 

“But Darce, you’re a part of this, you’ve been with me–”

 

“For too long,” Darcy finished for her. Jane stepped back as if she’d slapped her and Darcy had to remind herself to stay strong. 

 

“I’ve loved working with you Jane. But this isn’t my jam, you know it, I know it. The AI knows it, everyone on this freakin’ floor knows it!”

 

“You’ve gotten better–”

 

“I’ve stayed for you, because I love working with you and being apart of this, but at the end of the day, this isn’t my thing.”

 

“Dar–”

 

“Nuh uh, I’m good at helping you Janey. I’m good at keeping you and the other scientists on the straight and narrow of not blowing shit up, making sure you take care of yourself and that you get the things you need. But I need more than that, I finished my degree and I’m getting a masters and I want to use it. You of all people have to get that!” Darcy looked at her work placement boss turned best friend and saw the redness around her eyes, she was feeling the way Jane looked. 

 

Glancing around the room to look at anything besides her teary eyed friend she pressed her fingernails into her palm and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Opening them she focused on her friend, ignoring the person who appeared in the doorway to witness this dramatic daytime TV level waterworks.

 

“At the end of the day Jane, all of this?” she continued, gesturing around and landing on the stupidly attractive blond in the doorway. They stared at each other, like that terrible moment where you happen to look up and you meet eyes with someone by accident and it’s like a game of awkward chicken. But this felt...different. Shaking herself out of it she continued.

 

“I’m just a footnote in this journey of yours, I want more than that,” she finally got out, looking at her longtime boss-friend. Nodding, Jane took a step forward and they met in the middle, crying and hugging.

 

“How about ice cream and vodka floats while you tell me about this new job of yours?” Jane suggested, sniffling a little as they separated.

 

“Sounds like a plan, boss lady,” Darcy grinned, finding the box of tissues on the desk. Taking some for herself before handing them to Jane. She looked around for the guy that was at the door, but he was gone. Oh well.

 

“Let me just finish up here…”

 

“You’ve got ten minutes then I’m dragging your ass out!” Darcy declared, blowing her nose into a tissue.

 

“Is it weird that I’m going to miss that?” 

 

Darcy just laughed.

 

* * *

 

Steve watched as the two women argued, unable to go further without being noticed but having already checked the area behind him. Doctor Jane Foster and her assistant, Darcy Lewis. When arriving at the tower and after the fall of SHIELD he’d done a full check on everyone who worked or had access to the building. Thor of course had talked of them before, but the files gave them faces. And there they were, arguing in front of him. He had been considering a hasty if not silent retreat when he noticed it, the tears threatening to spill from Darcy’s eyes.

 

Without his permission his body took a step forward, hands clenched ready to–do what he didn’t know, but something. She shouldn’t cry. Darcy Lewis should never cry. What the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t even know her. With more difficulty than he understood, Steve remained at the doorway and that’s when she looked at him. He felt everything and nothing, the beating of his heart, the sound of the air in the ventilator, the conversations in the next room over it was like a buzz that he could feel in his bones. 

 

And that’s when she said them. The words he’d woken up with on his foot. She was the missing piece. He did the only logical thing he could think of, he went to find Bucky.

 

“Captain, might I inform you that Sir and Sergeant Barnes are now headed towards Sir’s lab from the south bay elevators,” JARVIS informed him.

 

“Thank you JARVIS,” he replied, sprinting in their direction.

 

“Happy to help, Captain.”

 

It had taken a few minutes to get there, jumping a few poorly placed desks and chairs before taking the stairs. Steve entered Tony’s lab while trying to calm down the thoughts in his mind.

 

“Well, the music will help make you feel more comfortable!”

 

“I don’t know what that was, but that was not music Stark,” Bucky replied.

 

“Everyone’s a critic! You want my help, you deal with my–”

 

“I found her,” Steve cut in, out of breath. He had tried to think of the best way to tell him, but he’d only managed to slow down his mind slightly. Both men stared at him in confusion.

 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific here, Cap. There are a lotta ‘hers’ in this building,” Tony smirked, going through a few drawers and pulling out different tools.

 

“Buck, it’s  _ her _ ,” he reiterated, moving towards Bucky and ignoring Tony completely. Steve saw it in his eyes when he got it. 

 

“Whadda say?” 

 

“Nothing. She was cryin’ Buck, and I said nothin’,” Steve breathed, closing his eyes and seeing it in his mind again. No one should make her cry.

 

“What the hell do you mean she was cryin’!? What did you do!?” Bucky demanded to know, attempting to get up from his set and grab the punk but remembering his arm was open on the table.

 

“Nothin’, I swear! You left, I went the other direction and I stumbled into it. She was sad and close to tears and I wanted, I wanted–” Steve continued on in frustration. He just, he wanted. He wanted to stop her tears, to hold her, to make her smile. He just wanted.

 

“Then we’ll find her,” Bucky replied, seeing the turmoil within his mate. 

 

“You’re gonna need a hand with that arm before you do anyth–” Tony laughed, amused with himself as he watched Bucky quickly closing the opened area and got up.

 

“You knew!?” Tony exclaimed, throwing down the wire he held.

 

“You let me waste a whole 3 minutes on figuring out where it was and how to open it without damaging it and YOU FUCKING KNEW?!”

 

Steve groaned, looking over to a smirking Bucky, shrugging at Stark.

 

“Looked like you needed the win. Besides, you learn more when you figure it out yourself,” he explained, tightening the screw quickly before jogging out the door with Tony sputtering behind him.

 

“I hate you both,”

 

“He does need your help, just... later,” Steve explained distractedly before following the other man out the door.

 

“JARVIS, give me a feed of the  geriatric wonders,” Tony asked, pulling out his latest project.

 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible, Sir. The Captain and Sergeant Barnes have enacted their privacy settings,” JARVIS explained.

 

“They keep taking all my fun!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr ([roserobertss](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/)), I am a multi-fandom trash bin that occasionally posts [graphics](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/tagged/%2A) and is always open to requests!


	4. temporary hiatus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what it says, explanation below.

Hey all. 

I promise you I haven't forgotten about this fic! For the time being, this fic has to be moved to the back burner as my dissertation takes precedence. If I look at a word doc that isn't dissertation related I have a mini panic attack so that is to be avoided. But I'll be wrapping it up in less than 2 months (cue panic) so theoretically (assuming the inspiration dry spell ends) I'll be posting by mid-September as I'll also be moving back across the Atlantic. 

I have to say the response to this fic has truly been wonderful and I still can't believe it. I'm on tumblr ([@roserobertss](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/)), I still make graphics (it's therapeutic when it cooperates) and am in need of brain-storming fic session so feel free to pester me there! ♥

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr ([roserobertss](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/)), I am a multi-fandom trash bin that occasionally posts [graphics](http://felicitymeghansmoak.co.vu/tagged/%2A) and is always open to requests!
> 
> ((Incase it's unclear, the words that are on Steve's foot are “I’m just a footnote in this journey of yours, I want more than that.” It's always awkward when you meet someone's eyes when you're talking to someone else!))


End file.
